Statistics.

CORN PRICES.

RETURN OF THE AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN, IMPERIAL MEASURE, AS RECEIVED FROM THE INSPECTORS AND OFFICERS OF EXCISE DURING THE UNDER-MENTIONED PERIODS.

[MARCH 1894.]

PROFESSIONAL NOTES.

SECTION I.

SHORT PAPERS.

The Weather and the Wheat Crop of 1893.

In 1878 the number of acres devoted to wheat in the United Kingdom was returned as 3,381,701, but in 1893, for the same area, the return was only 1,955,213.

In 1878 the average price for the year was 46s. 5d. a quarter, fluctuating from 51s. 11d. in January to 39s. 7d. in October. For the year 1893 the average price for the whole year was only 26s. 4d., fluctuating between the maximum price of 27s. 10d. in October and the minimum of 24s. Ed. in March. With such a drop in the average price which has taken place during the past 15 years, it can hardly be a matter of surprise that the area devoted to the growth of wheat in 1893 was so much less than in 1878. Although the oat crop now claims many more acres than the wheat crop, and the barley crop claims almost as many, and with the fact staring us in the face that it is almost impossible— unless under exceptional circumstances--to grow wheat at the present time at a profit, still, in all probability, wheat will be grown, to a large extent, for many years to come, in

Great Britain-possibly in less quantities every year—and so long as it is grown it will ever prove the most interesting of the cereals, and this must be my excuse for again repeating my annual review under the above title.

As the researches of Sir JOHN LAWES and others have shewn that only about 5 per cent. of the total wheat crop is derived from the soil itself, the remainder coming either directly or indirectly from the atmosphere, and as the amount of matter so accumulated from each source depends entirely upon the relation of heat and moisture, we must not be surprised that the character of the seasons exercises so great an influence upon the growth of the crop.

In the early part of November, Sir JOHN LAWES published his annual report of the wheat crop at Rothamsted, and the average yield of the selected plots comes out only 21 measured bushels, equivalent to 22 bushels of 60 lbs.

The yield of 22 weighed bushels for 1893 compares with an average of 294 bushels produced on the same plots of land during the preceding 10 years, with 271 bushels during the preceding 31 years, and with 27g bushels during the preceding 41 years. Looking back at Sir JOHN LAWES' previous records during the 41 years, i.e., from 1851, there appear to be only five years with a yield so low as that of last year, viz., 1853, with a yield of 20 bushels; 1860, with a yield of 22 bushels; 1867, with a yield of 21 bushels; 1873, with a yield of 22 bushels; 1879, with a yield of only 15 bushels to the acre; but the last-mentioned year was certainly, the black one of the century, and the one which always stands out in a most unfavourable light.

Owing to the extraordinary character of the past season, Sir JOHN does not place much reliance upon his estimate being a correct one for the whole country, and this opinion seems to be confirmed by the returns subsequently published, from which it is calculated that the yield is about 26 bushels

to the acre; but I am afraid it must be allowed that, notwithstanding the exceptionally good quality of the 1893 wheat, the low prices prevailing will render the crop worth less to the English farmer than any wheat crop grown during the present century.

Before attempting to draw any conclusions from the weather and its effects upon the wheat crop, it may be worth while to give in some detail the characteristic features of the remarkable year which has just concluded, although one must confess to a certain degree of hesitation in so doing, as so much has been written upon the subject that any remarks now must seem out of date.

October 1892 was, in the east of England, a very wet month, and in the Midlands the rainfall was nearly an inch above the average, so that the ground was in such a state as to make it impossible, in many instances, to put in the wheat satisfactorily, and this may, in some measure, account for the diminished area devoted to the growth of wheat. In the latter part of the month, however, seeding was accomplished in a more or less satisfactory way.

November was a seasonable month, with the rainfall about the average, the temperature normal, and no extremes of heat and cold.

The early and middle parts of December were mild and rainy, but the end of the month was dry and cold, with a considerable amount of frost.

January was dry, the rainfall being, in the south of England, nearly an inch below the average. The first part of the month was cold, and on one or two of the nights the frost was especially severe; the remainder of the month was mild.

The month of February was very wet, the rainfall at Greenwich being nearly an inch above the average. It was, however, a very warm month, and only on six nights did

the temperature fall below the freezing point, and then not to any great extent.

With the advent of March began the gloriously fine weather for which the year will be long remembered, and in this month rain only fell on very few days, so that the total rainfall for the month was much below the average. The full power of the sun could be felt, and the days were very hot owing to the cloudless sky, but, for the same reason, the nights were excessively cold, and the great extremes of temperature had a most serious effect upon vegetation, although the month was most favourable for the farmer pushing on with his work.

April was remarkable for the large amount of sunshine, with excessive heat on some of the days. The very small rainfall was also a feature of the month.

May, like April, was almost without rain, with a very large proportion of sunshine, and, consequently, very warm days, but the nights were cold.

June, like the two previous months, was again very dry, with a large amount of sunshine, and, consequently, very hot days.

In July the drought came to an end, but although the rainfall was somewhat excessive for the month, owing in a great measure to local thunderstorms, the ground was so dry and warm that the rain seemed to produce very little appreciable effect, and a couple of days after a heavy downpour the soil seemed almost as parched as before. The days were hot and sultry, and the nights were much warmer than had been the case in the previous month, and there was, consequently, not the same great variation between the day and night temperatures. The abundant rainfall and the high temperatures brought on the harvest very quickly, and it was, probably, one of the earliest on record, operations being in full swing before the end of the month.

In August there was a deficiency of rain; but, probably,..